1. Introduction2. Packaging3. Thermaltake Commander MS-I Exterior4. Thermaltake Commander MS-I Interior5. Testing Methodology and Performance6. Acoustic Performance7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

The right hand side panel of the Commander MS-I features a small window that is shaped similar to a stealth bomber. The window provides a partial view of the system components when the panel is in its designated place. This panel also has a square perforated area next to the window for an optional 120mm fan which would increase the airflow directed at the graphics card.

The other side panel is one solid piece of metal and is painted entirely white. The center section of the panel has been pushed out slightly and should help us with the cable management task when we build our test system. The front panel of the chassis is white with black accents that are trimmed with sharp lines. This is not surprising considering it is a part of Thermaltake eSPORTS extreme product line.

In an effort to save space and help reduce costs, the connectivity options like the USB ports and audio jacks, commonly located on the top panel of case, have been placed on the front panel instead. Unfortunately the size of the front panel will limit the number of these options to the bare minimum.

Removing the front panel is as easy as grabbing the grooves in the bottom edge of the panel and gently pulling it away from the chassis. The panel must be removed when it comes time to install an optical drive or front intake fan. With the panel removed from the chassis we gain access to the 5.25″ drive bays and can get a good look at the small PCB that has the USB ports and audio jacks mounted on it.

The rear of the Commander MS-I features a bottom mounting location for our power supply. Located directly above where the power supply sits are 7 expansion slots which are available for any cards we decide to include in the system build. Further up is a single 120mm blue LED exhaust fan. Directly underneath the fan there are two holes cut that could potentially be used for liquid cooling tubes. We browsed their website but didn't notice any mention of this as an option.

The top and bottom panels of the Commander MS-I Snow Edition are individual pieces of metal painted entirely white. Thermaltake then perforated sections of these panels to improve ventilation and provide space where optional fans can be mounted. The bottom panel has 4 raised black rubber feet that elevate the case far enough from the ground to allow plenty of air to circulate.

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